Disneyland Resort

April Foolishness

April 1, 2004

Alice, a dear friend of DisneyLies.com, pointed out that we never reported on April 2004's "April Foolishness" event at the Disneyland Resort. For those who were not able to attend, we pity you -- this was easily the most elaborate event ever staged in any theme park ever in the history of the world.

The theme of the event was that during the night of March 31 mischievous winds blew through the resort, scrambling the rides and attractions. Thanks to these winds, April 1 visitors to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure found the following:

• Small World music being played in the Space Mountain ride vehicles
• In the Star Tours queue, C3PO speaking José's dialogue from the Tiki room. In the ride itself, "Rex" (the Star Tours pilot robot) replaced by an animatronic Captain EO. And to round out the whole mess, the ride's video and audio swapped with that from Soarin' over California (making the latter ride much more exciting than many guests expected).
• The old Adventure Thru Inner Space's spiel in Alice in Wonderland
• On Pirates of the Caribbean, the giant pirate ship repainted like a Disney Cruise Line ship, skeletons dressed in circa-1960 cast-member costumes, and the auction "bride" nobody will bid on replaced by a robot of a former Disneyland executive (the one with the gap in her teeth)
• An exhibit on the history of the Disney Gallery in the Disney Gallery (featuring a model of the Disney Gallery in which there is an exhibit on the Disney Gallery). Also in the Disney Gallery: print-on-demand Disney Dollars
• The Splash Mountain critters with their original America Sings soundtracks restored. Splash Mountain's original music moved across the resort to the "The Magic of Bre'r Bear" show
• All of the Main Street vehicles hooked up with Electrical Parade music
• Jungle Cruise guides running the Monorail, firing a pistol at rampaging Harbor Boulevard traffic and showing guests a rare sight -- "the back side of the Matterhorn"
• The sounds of an old-fashioned dentist (played from one of Main Street, U.S.A.'s store fronts) replacing the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh soundtrack
• The old Mission to Mars show playing on the Columbia, the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack in "it's a small world," and the parking lot tram spiel on Big Thunder Mountain
• In the Main Street Opera House, Mr. Lincoln singing, "In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki room."
• Billy Hill and the Hillbillies playing on the Club Buzz stage, and the Golden Horseshoe taken over by Playhouse Disney.
• The cast of Snow White performing the original Country Bears Jamboree show.
• The music and sounds from the Primeval World Diorama replaced by that from Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, and the Diorama dinosaurs singing, "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"
• The Matterhorn yeti taking the place of honor in Mickey's Movie Barn, and Mickey waving to delighted Matterhorn riders
• Superstar Limo's soundtrack in the Haunted Mansion
• Guests winning fabulous prizes at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- Play It In The Tiki Room!
• The Boudin Bakery, Mission Tortilla Factory, and Seasons of the Vine films playing in the Main Street Cinema, their originals replaced by World War II-era shorts on flush riveting, gun assembly, and avoiding maleria
• Outboard motors attached to Davey Crockett's Explorer Canoes, and California Screamin' powered by guests, Fred Flintsone style
• The old Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland soundtrack on the Jungle Cruise
• Blue Bayou Monte Cristo sandwiches sold in place of McDonald's French fries (with no change in cost).
• The Jolly Trolley replaced with the Bountiful Valley Farm Caterpillar tractor
• In Drawn to Animation, guests learn how the character of Squanto was developed. After the show, they visit the Beast's library, sit at a computer, and find out which Disney executive they are most like.
• Plush prizes from the Games of the Boardwalk replaced with old submarine lagoon fish
• The Jumpin' Jellyfish, Orange Stinger, Maliboomer, and Golden Zephyr all running backwards, as is Pinocchio's Daring Journey (so that the fairy turns a little boy into wood)
• Muppet*Vision 3D and It's Tough to be a Bug! with their films swapped but with their original in-theater effects
• The Autopia safety spiel greeting riders in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• The cast of D.U.H. manning City Hall
• Mad Tea Party, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and Haunted Mansion vehicles scrambled
• Real Horses on King Arthur's Carrousel
• Casey Jr. Circus Train on the Peoplemover track
• The Astro Orbitor primary drive unit replaced with spare motor from Walt Disney World's new Mission Space attraction
• The Indiana Jones Adventure converted to the Merlin Jones adventure
• Rented strollers swapped with Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies vehicles, and rented Electric Conveyance Vehicles with their battery powered motors replaced with nitro-burning funny car engines
• Sister Act playing in the Golden Dreams theater
• Princess Dot Puddle Park powered by the Golden Vine Winery (making it DCA's most popular attraction for the day)
• Popcorn that tastes like turkey legs, turkey legs that taste like churros, and churros that cost $10
• Deep-fried cheesecake replaced by deep-fried pretzels; cheesecake served nacho style.
• Obscure characters at all character greeting locations (the Shaggy D.A., the MCP from Tron, the cat from outer space, the monkey's uncle, Condorman, a computer wearing tennis shoes)
• Both parks share one big parade: The Parade of Electrical Stars (featuring Thomas Edison and the cast of the Carrousel of Progress)
• Fantasy in the Sky fireworks in the Hyperion Theater
• Mai tais in the Tiki Juice Bar; candy-store mints in the mint juleps
• At the Pacific Wharf Café tortillas instead of bread bowls for hot soup
• Award Weiners and the Vineyard Room with their prices swapped
• The 20,000 Leagues submarines unmothballed and put in Paradise Bay where they carry out mock naval maneuvers with Phantom Boats
• And -- at the insistence of the board of directors -- the gigantic dragon featured in Fantasmic replaced with a gigantic Roy Disney (leading to a reprimand to the cast member playing Mickey Mouse when he hugged the giant instead of fighting it)

It's interesting to note that some changes proposed for the April Foolishness event were canceled at the last minute. These included:

• Rivers of America water in the lemonade
• Having cleaning crews empty trash bins into the Grizzly River Run
• "Happiest Birthday on Earth!" festivities replaced by "Happiest Bris on Earth!"
• Reclining seats and in-flight movies on Dumbo
• Styrofoam food in all restaurants
• Disabled guests requesting special access passes receiving free tickets to Knotts Berry Farm instead
• All seats in "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" filled with characters from "it's a small world"
• Deafening hardcore rock music blaring from the Emporium
• Disney Dollars replaced by confederate money
• Real fire in the fire station
• Tuck and Roll's Drive 'em Buggies replaced by Big Thunder trains
• Ferdinand the Bull in the China Closet
• Nothing but Shrek merchandise in Disneyana
• Goofy's Bounce House filled with helium
• Minnie's House featuring the late Minnie Pearl
• Plush animals that tick like they might explode
• Pin trading replaced by wife swapping
• A giant sign outside Disneyland saying, "Coming in 2005 -- a new, original E-ticket attraction!" (nixed as just too unbelievable)

Because of the success of this event (and the entertaining confusion it sewed among those few guests who were not annual pass holders), Disney is considering doing something different for April 1 every year. Some wacky ideas being considered:

• An all-toon production of Hamlet
• Everyone acting sad all the time at the Blue Bayou and Blue Ribbon Bakery (it's a pun!)
• Switching the signs on the restrooms every 15 minutes
• Something interesting in Innoventions
• A new, improved, completely overhauled, "under new management," nothing in the Festival Arena
• Dressing every animatronic in the park -- from Pirates of the Caribbean to the Primeval World Diorama to the Tiki Room -- as Abraham Lincoln
• Parks declared closed and filled to capacity after 100 guests enter
• Remaking Main Street, U.S.A. as a 1960's vintage Main Street, U.S.S.R. (imagine the lines!)
• Hand buzzers for all the costumed characters
• Crabby, slovenly cast members with chips on their shoulder and haughty disdain for stupid questions
• Brand new, super complicated, attraction coupons
• FASTPASS for everything
• Letting guests go back and forth between Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure as if it were just one big park
• Every cash register advertising a free Uncle Remus plush with a Song of the South DVD preorder
• An extra ear on every Mickey Mouse hat
• Both parks are open for 12 hours, but in one-hour intervals and never at the same time
• The Swiss Family Robinson lays siege toTarzan's Treehouse
• Encasing the Central Plaza's statue of Walt Disney in ice
• All prices multiplied by 10 (there is a concern that guests might not notice, however)
• Tiny little pirates attacking and burning buildings in the Storybook Land Canal Boats
• Incredibly wrong park maps
• Start the 6 o'clock parade at 5:30
• Some kind of high-speed ride on the Peoplemover track
• All rides and attractions open and operating problem free for one whole day
  

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